By Jane Prendergast
and Dan Horn
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Baptist Ministers Conference members Rev. Calvin Harper (left), president, and Rev. Fred L. Shuttlesworth meet at Temple Bible College in Avondale to call for answers in Nathaniel Jones' death. (Tony Jones photo)

The Hamilton County coroner could reveal as early as today what caused the death of a 350-pound man who died after a violent confrontation with Cincinnati police officers Sunday in a fast-food parking lot .

Dr. Carl Parrott Jr. said late Tuesday he was still awaiting laboratory test results before determining the exact cause of Nathaniel Jones' death. He is also expected to determine exactly how much cocaine and PCP the 41-year-old Northside man had in his system when he died.

Parrott said officials found .36 grams of powder cocaine and three cigarettes dipped in PCP - more commonly known as angel dust - in Jones' car.

Jones also had a history of hypertension, Parrott said.

"He was a big man,'' the coroner said, "with a bad heart.''

Meanwhile, a videotape of the struggle between Jones and police officers in the parking lot of a North Avondale White Castle continued to air on national and local news shows Tuesday.

Chief Tom Streicher, in his first public comments about the incident, unequivocally defended his officers amid renewed calls by some for his resignation.

INVESTIGATION

The death of a suspect in police custody triggers investigations by several groups: Cincinnati Police Department's internal investigations section, which will determine whether police policies, procedures and training were followed. Cincinnati's police's homicide unit, whose detectives will gather information as they would in any death investigation. The Hamilton County coroner, who will review lab results and police evidence to determine cause and manner of death. The Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office, which will review the homicide investigation before deciding whether the case should be turned over to a grand jury for possible prosecution. The city's Citizen Complaint Authority, which opens its own investigation, results of which are due in 90 days. Two additional groups are investigating the death of Nathaniel Jones: Cincinnati Fire Department, which will look into why firefighters left the scene for about two minutes. The U.S. Department of Justice (preliminary inquiry), which will determine whether a full-scale civil rights investigation is warranted.

POLICE VIDEO

• View the raw police video

YOU TELL US

What are your messages to the family? The police? The Cincinnati community? Use our online form to send us your thoughts.

Streicher said the six officers, at least two of whom were pulled to the ground by Jones, are trained to view such a struggle as "an armed engagement,'' because they no longer have total control over their weapons.

But a group of black ministers Tuesday described the incident as "torture'' and called for clergy throughout the city to let their parishioners out early Sunday to attend an afternoon rally and march at City Hall.

Other details trickled out Tuesday, as investigators from at least six agencies continued to look into the incident:

• Officers used both chemical irritant and pepper spray on Jones, Streicher said. And, he said, it took three sets of handcuffs, linked together, to get Jones' arms to reach behind his back.

• A Taser - which administers an electrical current meant to temporarily debilitate a suspect - was not an option because the department took them off the streets, Streicher said, because they found them ineffective and inaccurate.

• Officers are trained to use their batons, called PR-24s, as jabbing tools to cause pain and force a suspect's compliance, said Ted Schoch, training academy director.

• Fire Chief Robert Wright is interviewing four emergency medical technicians who were called to the incident, but then left, to determine why they had left the scene.

• Jones' grandmother and uncle retained attorney Kenneth Lawson, and are expected to talk publicly today about Jones, a father of two children who recently lost his job as night resident at a group home.

Questions linger

Lawson questioned why 96 seconds of the police cruiser's videotape was blank.

The tape begins as the cruiser is speeding to the restaurant, then goes blank for 96 seconds upon arrival. It then captures about six minutes of the struggle and arrest.

Streicher said the tape went blank because the officer turned off the car, which shuts off the camera. The officer then turned the camera on by remote control because, Streicher said, he thought the incident should be recorded.

"He knew he was going to make the right decisions,'' the chief said, or he wouldn't have turned it on.

The officers - Baron Osterman, James Pike, Guy Abrams, Jay Johnstone, Joehonny Reese and Thomas Slade - remain on paid administrative leave for five working days and two off days, which is standard procedure.

The U.S. Department of Justice, which investigated Cincinnati police for a year after the April 2001 police shooting of suspect Timothy Thomas, launched a preliminary inquiry into Jones' death to determine whether a full-scale investigation is warranted. Streicher said he welcomes the federal scrutiny.

Fire union president Joe Arnold urged patience as the investigation into that department continues.

Although a police officer can be heard on the tape saying that firefighters "bailed'' on them, Arnold said, firefighters are trained to step back from any violent situation. They are trained to call police and wait until the scene is safe before re-engaging. Arnold said at least seven police officers were on the scene before firefighters left Sunday. Firefighters also called their own dispatch center when Jones got violent to make sure police had more officers on the way, he said.

"We make split-second decisions every day,'' Arnold said.

He said he called Fraternal Order of Police President Roger Webster to assure him "we will not bail on our brothers in blue.''

Wright said he doubted the firefighters' response time could have saved Jones:

"He was a flat-line when our guys got there.''

Urging calm

A dozen people gathered Tuesday night at the White Castle on West Mitchell Avenue to show support for Jones' family and demand answers. They pledged to continue the boycott of downtown Cincinnati until changes are made in the police department.

"Everyone is trying - all of the coalitions - to bring unity,'' said the Rev. Stephen Scott, chairman of the First Coalition for a Just Cincinnati. "Something like this sets us back to the time before the riots; we need to move forward.''

Mayor Charlie Luken called local civil rights leaders Tuesday afternoon. He said he wanted them to know they should ask questions and be part of the discussion. He took exception, however, to criticism that he prematurely jumped to the officers' defense.

"There were about 25 different people telling me all the wrong things police did,'' the mayor said. "Somebody's got to stand for the truth and the city. ... It's impossible for me to let the city come under attack. It is perfectly appropriate for other people to come to different conclusions.''

Reporters Kevin Aldridge, Sharon Coolidge and Greg Korte contributed.

Email jprendergast@enquirer.com, dhorn@enquirer.com